Each month Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program of Air France and KLM, publishes a list of discounted awards on select routes. The discount is usually in the 20-50% range and is valid only on select awards for travel on Air France and KLM. The Flying Blue program has dynamic award pricing instead of an award chart, so these discounts apply to the lowest awards.

We haven’t seen any North America deals in a while, but as transatlantic travel gradually picks up, this month’s list includes a couple of routes to and from North America.

flying blue awards

To estimate how many miles you’ll need for the lowest awards (before the discount) you can use the Flying Blue price estimator.

flying blue miles price estimator

November Flying Blue Promo Rewards

November promo rewards include discounted awards on 22 routes. You have to book by November 30th and travel before Apr. 30, 2022. The short-haul discounted awards include mostly intra-European flights, but the long-haul awards include a couple of routes to the U.S. and Canada and are valid in both directions of travel:

  • Save 25% on Air France economy class awards between Europe and Miami
  • Save 25% on Air France economy class awards between Europe and Chicago
  • Save 25% on KLM economy class awards between Europe and Montreal
  • Save 25% on KLM business class awards between Europe and Miami

Historically, Flying Blue didn’t allow any changes or cancellations of the promo awards, but as a temporary reprieve, changes are allowed. There are still no cancellations or refunds, so only book a trip you know you are going to take.

Stack with Transfer Bonuses

To sweeten the deal, two of Flying Blue credit card partners are running transfer bonuses for Flying Blue for the month of November.

American Express is offering a 25% transfer bonus so you can convert 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,250 Flying Blue miles. This is not uncommon for Amex to run this deal, but this time the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

membership rewards points transfer to flying blue award miles

Another credit card issuer, Capital One, also has a deal where you can receive a 20% bonus when you transfer Capital One miles to Air France KLM Flying Blue.

capital one miles transfer to flying blue miles

You’ll need to create a Flying Blue account to search for award space, but once you’ve done that, the process is very straightforward. You can search on either the Air France or KLM website, as they are supposed to return the same results, although, in my experience it’s not always the case, so it might be worth checking both.

According to our handy price estimator, an economy award from the U.S. to Europe should cost 21,500 miles in economy or 53,000 miles in business one-way. I was able to find a promo award from Miami to Paris for just 16,125 miles one-way in economy.

miami to paris direct flights using flying blue miles

When you click on the flight, you’ll be able to see promo awards fare restrictions.

promo awards restrictions

The lowest business class promo award I was able to pull up costs 39,750 miles, but you might get better results, depending on your dates.

klm france miami to florida using flying blue miles

This is a great deal by itself, but when you factor in the transfer bonus from Amex or Capital One, this already incredible deal becomes even better. You’ll need to transfer just 13,000 Membership Rewards points to book an economy ticket and 32,000 points to book a one-way business class ticket. That’s what most programs charge for economy, so if a spring trip to Europe is in your plans, now’s the best time to book!

Flying Blue includes Israel in its definition of Europe, so you might even be able to find some award space to Tel Aviv during the promo period.

Flying Blue passes on fuel surcharges, so keep in mind that you’ll need to pay a few hundred dollars in surcharges for a trip in business class.

How to Earn Flying Blue Miles

Because Flying Blue is a transfer partner of all four major transferable currencies, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and Citi ThankYou points, it’s easy to earn a good stash of Flying Blue miles.

One of our favorite cards for earning Flying Blue miles is the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. The card has no annual fee (Rates & Fees) and earns 2X on all purchases up to $50,000 a year. If you are a business owner, this is a great, and simple, way to earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points on every purchase you make for your business.

Membership Rewards transfer 1:1 to Flying Blue.

The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is another great card for earning Flying Blue miles. The card earns 2X on all purchases and has a $95 annual fee.

Capital One Miles transfer 1:1 to Flying Blue.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

75,000

Miles

once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee: $95

Read Our Take Learn More

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

15,000

Membership Rewards®

after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership

Terms Apply. | Rates & Fees.

Read Our Take Learn More

Final Thoughts

If Europe’s been on your mind, now might be the perfect time to book. Flying Blue points are easy to earn and the transfer bonuses offered by two major credit card issuers came around at a perfect time. The promo awards are already discounted by 25% so a 20-25% transfer bonus makes them even more affordable.

Read the change and cancellation rules carefully and only book a trip you are going to take.

If you do book any of these awards, keep checking the travel restrictions in Europe as they change frequently. My favorite resource is Re-open EU, the official European Union website. Airport websites usually also have helpful information on entry restrictions and the required paperwork.

Travel well,
Anna